A Great Wizard in the Making
by FloreatCastellum
Summary: When Teddy Lupin turns seventeen, Harry wants to make sure he knows he is family. Pure, unashamed, sickening fluff. Canon compliant.


The laughter was loud, the wine was being poured, Ron and George were digging around in the pantry for the beer they were sure was stashed away somewhere. There was a rumbling upstairs from the kids racing around, and a shrieking - a loud thunk made Harry and a handful of the other parents look up at the ceiling, but when they only heard an irritated 'Owww!' rather than anything that sounded like a serious injury, they went back to laughing over Angelina's anecdote.

Molly and Audrey busied themselves with the food, a stunning display of salads and charcuterie boards, crusty bread and bowls of olive oil and balsamic, several rotisserie chickens and plates of neatly arranged seafood Ron had already loudly insisted he wouldn't touch. Hermione was enchanting streamers and bunting of every colour to drape themselves elegantly around the room, and Angelina, pins in her mouth, was putting up the happy birthday banner.

There was another call from the living room, and they all cheered in greeting as Bill and Fleur arrived, kids in tow, brushing ash from their shoulders.

'Oh, hello everyone,' greeted Fleur, kissing Arthur on the cheek, and handing him a wrapped box. 'Where are we putting ze presents? Dominique, Louis, dis bonjour-' But the children had already run off to join their cousins in creating havoc upstairs.

'I'm putting them all in here, so we can hand them out round the table,' said Arthur kindly.

'Where's Victoire?' asked Molly. 'I thought she was coming back for Easter too?'

'She's in the village with him still,' said Bill, a little grumpily. 'She said she'd bring him at half five.'

'Well, we had to make sure Teddy didn't suspect anything, Bill,' Harry said, holding back a smile.

'They better not have eaten,' said Bill, looking at the pile of food on the kitchen island. 'Not with all the effort you've gone to, Mum.'

'Oh, it's nothing,' she said, but she looked very pleased with herself. 'Ron, put that down, we're not starting yet!'

They returned to their chatter, but after a few moments Lily burst into the room, red in the face and breathless. 'Dad, daddy-' she gasped. 'Something really bad has happened.'

'What now?' he said warily.

'Don't be angry-'

He sighed, and exchanged an exasperated glance with Ginny. 'Is anyone bleeding?'

'No, no one's hurt-'

'OK, well try and fix whatever it is that's broken, and then tell me about it later.'

'All right,' she said, and then she darted from the room again, her fairy wings bouncing as she went.

'Top class parenting, mate,' said George with a grin.

Harry grinned back and drank from his beer. 'If it was anything really serious they'd be shouting for Ginny.'

'They've figured out Harry's less likely to shout about something being broken or dirty,' said Ginny wryly. 'Not that I think I shout often, but there you are.'

'I always knew you'd take after Mum,' said George. They all glanced up again as there was another loud thump, and Roxy's voice could be heard screeching.

'STOP IT! I'LL TELL ON YOU!'

'Ah, sod it,' said George. 'Harry's got the right idea, I'll find out later.'

'Who else are we waiting for?' Molly asked, counting out plates. 'Adults, I mean, I've got paper plates for the kids.'

'The big kids,' Harry called, referring to Teddy and Victoire. 'And Andromeda should be arriving any moment.'

'Not like her to be late,' said Percy, checking his watch.

At that moment, a tearful Roxy entered, clutching a rubber chicken and a wearing a pillowcase as a cape. 'Mum,' she sniffed. 'James keeps throwing-'

Harry sighed and threw an apologetic glance at Angelina. 'Come on, Roxy, come and show me what's going on.'

He followed his niece upstairs, to find that the children had transformed the bunk beds in one of the old bedrooms into some kind of fortress - he was pelted with rubber chickens the moment he stepped foot through the door.

'Oi!' he shouted, raising his arm to shield his face. 'Stop - James! I mean it!'

'We thought you might be a Death Eater,' said James, an unapologetic grin on his face.

Harry glared at him. 'I'm quite willing to pretend I haven't noticed all of this-' he gestured to the room where furniture had been piled precariously and blankets were anchored with heavy books to make the fortress. '-But if our lunch keeps getting interrupted by crying children, I'll send your mother up.'

'It's not our fault Roxy's a cry baby,' said Fred.

Harry pointed at him. 'Don't you start.' His eye was suddenly caught by a huge hole in the door of the walk in cupboard. Someone had tried to spellotape the broken shards of wood over it. 'What-?!'

'I did try and tell you,' said Lily.

Harry looked back at his eldest son, who was holding a beaters bat like a sword. 'Put that down, what I have I told you about heavy objects? You're at Hogwarts now, you're too old to still be doing this stuff.'

James reluctantly lowered the beaters bat (Harry was sure he would pick it up the moment he was gone), and watched as his father repaired the cupboard door with a swish of his wand. 'Dad,' he said suddenly. 'When Teddy gets here, can you ask him to change into-'

'No, he's not changing into Voldemort,' said Harry flatly. 'I mean it, James, apologise to Roxy, and keep it down up here. You all need to be back in the kitchen at twenty past if you want to be part of the surprise.'

'Sorry Roxy,' said James, in a passable impression of remorse.

He glanced up at Albus and Rose, who were perched precariously on top of a wardrobe, and at Hugo, who was sitting under an upturned laundry basket, reading a book as though nothing was happening.

'He's in Azkaban,' said Al reasonably.

'All right,' said Harry, and before he spotted any thing else to worry about, he returned back downstairs. The kitchen, which over the years had gone through many adaptations to accommodate the increasingly swelling family, was now a riot of colour. Andromeda had arrived by now, bearing a new tablecloth in vivid turquoise. George and Ron had even provided balloons, which glowed in alternating shades of every colour Harry could think of.

'We didn't want to go with a theme, then?' he said with a grin.

'The theme is Teddy!' exclaimed Ginny. 'Give me a hand with this tablecloth will you?'

'Sure.'

'What had they broken?' she asked him as he helped. 'No skulls, I hope?'

'Not yet. Just a cupboard door.' He looked over at Ron. 'Your son has been put in Azkaban.'

'Oh, that'll lighten him up,' said Ron. 'At least he's joining in for once.'

'No, he was still reading.' He considered. 'Want to swap for a bit? Him for James.'

'Absolutely not.'

'Stop it you two!' scolded Hermione. 'You can't joke about that sort of thing.'

'Oh, they'd know we're kidding,' said Harry. 'It's quite sweet, really, they've all worked together to turn the bunk beds into a death trap.'

'Creative,' remarked Ron.

'Very,' agreed Harry. 'My heart only stopped about four times.'

The scene was set. With a lot of yelling up the stairs, all the children had eventually come down and were crouched in a variety of hiding places, giggling madly.

'Do you think we should have done it outside?' Molly was worrying in a low whisper. 'It's such a lovely day-'

'Where would everyone have hid outside?' asked Andromeda. 'No, this is perfect, don't worry.'

'Show time ladies and gents!' called George, and they all ducked down. Teddy and Victoire were heading up the garden path, deep in conversation. The worry was that Teddy would look through the huge window and see all the colour, but thankfully Victoire was talking so animatedly and earnestly that Harry was sure Teddy hadn't taken his eyes off her for the entire walk from the village.

He heard Bill give a long, low sigh next to him.

'She could do worse,' he told him lightly.

Bill gave him a withering look. 'Pipe down, your little girl's still tiny. Come back and say that again when she's sixteen.'

'Ssh!' hushed Andromeda.

They heard the click of the door, the sound of two people shuffling in, and Teddy's low voice saying, 'I don't think so, I mean I'll ask him but I think-'

The door opened, and they all leapt up with a series of bangs as the party poppers George had dotted around the room exploded. 'SURPRISE!'

Teddy yelped, and took a step backwards, then broke into a embarrassed grin as they clapped and cheered. The children ran towards him, James, Lily and Albus leading the charge, and wrapped themselves around his legs.

'What-?' he laughed in disbelief.

'Happy birthday, Ted,' said Andromeda, moving forward to cup his face and kiss him on the forehead.

'This is amazing,' said Teddy, looking around the bright kitchen. He turned to Victoire. 'This is why you decided to come home for Easter?' She beamed up at him.

Harry hugged him, clapping him on the back. 'Happy birthday, mate. Seventeenth is a big one.'

There was a tugging on his robes, and he looked down to see Al gazing up at him. 'Now that Teddy's here, can we go back and play?'

'Grab some food first,' said Harry.

'I have paper plates for the little kids,' announced Molly. 'Big kids, at the table, please.'

'Am I a big kid or a little kid?' complained Louis.

'Your decision, Lou, but when you've picked, stick to it. Teddy, you're sitting in the middle, please - yes, birthday boy, I insist-'

The food was served, the children taking their own paper plates piled high with food back up to their fort, the adults helping themselves, the air alive with the hum and buzz of conversation, occasional snatches of laughter rising up like bubbles in a champagne glass. Harry sat opposite his wife, with Teddy by her side and Andromeda on his, their odd little family all together.

'-And then Harry was sat on his chest, just pummelling him-' George was saying, and Harry looked over at the sound of his name.

'Yes, I remember-' Angelina was saying.

'Did you really, Uncle Harry?' asked Victoire, her large blue eyes staring at him in shock.

'What?' asked Harry, leaning forward to look at them.

'Punch someone on the Quidditch pitch in front of everyone. Uncle George said you did it with him and got banned from Quidditch-'

'Oh, yeah.'

Teddy spluttered with laughter. 'You? I can't imagine you punching anyone. Ginny, maybe-'

'Oi!' said Ginny, in mock annoyance. 'And forget punch, you and George were full on beating Malfoy.'

'I think we were justified,' said Harry.

'Quite,' said George. 'Fred always said he would have joined in if Angelina hadn't held him back.'

'In front of the whole school though?' asked Victoire. 'In front of the teachers and everything?'

'He was trying to wind us up because he lost,' said George. 'And you know what your uncle Harry's like, a complete lunatic-'

'Thanks, George.'

'-A rogue, maverick Auror who doesn't play by the rules-'

'Thank you.'

'-A rebel without a cause!'

Harry rolled his eyes while Teddy laughed. 'It doesn't make sense,' he said, between splutters. 'Whenever he gets angry he storms off, he doesn't start throwing punches.'

'Well he's grown up a lot now, Ted. But he was a little delicate that year,' said George.

Harry shot him a look. 'Also justified. And like you said, you joined in too.'

'Well, yes. But you expected it from us. And the little prick was insulting our family, it was the chivalrous thing to do.'

'Glad you agree,' said Harry. 'And I'm not sure why I'm the one getting shocked looks - Hermione slapped him a good two years before I ever lay a finger-'

There was a fresh bout of laughter, and dramatic gasps from Teddy and Victoire as they swivelled to look at Hermione, who gave a carefree shrug. 'As you said, Harry. Completely justified.'

'He really was the most obnoxious little twerp,' Harry assured Teddy, who was looking at him as though seeing him in a whole new, much cooler, light. 'I think it's fine to punch people when they really deserve it now and then.'

'Really?' came an excitable voice. James had come down for more food, and he dropped his paper plate at once and raced back upstairs.

'No,' Harry called after him. 'James, no, you know that's not-'

The rest of them laughed and Harry simply sighed and reached for his drink.

'Top class p-' began George.

'Don't,' Harry warned him, and they laughed even more.

'He's winding you up,' said Ginny. 'He's not really going to punch anyone.'

'Do you know what he did yesterday?' Harry asked her. 'I went to the window by the kitchen sink, and he was lying on the lawn in a funny position, with his broomstick as if he'd fallen off. Laughed his head off at me when I ran out, apparently he'd been like that for about ten minutes waiting for me to spot him and panic. He's going to be the death of me.'

'That's all right, you'll come back,' said George. Harry flicked an oil-covered artichoke at him.

The meal continued at a leisurely pace, the salads and meats giving way to a selection of puddings; cakes and meringue, panna cotta and fruit jellies. Harry, who by now had a snoozing Lily on his lap, a mess of glitter and stickers on her face, caught Ginny's eye as she smoothly cut him a piece of treacle tart. He smiled at her; it was one of those special moments that came along every now and then where he wondered how everything had worked out so perfectly.

'Time for the cake!' called Molly, and the children came running in excitedly - even Lily rose her sleepy, confused head as the lights dimmed and the balloons slowly stopped glowing.

Harry remembered his own seventeenth birthday, how his jaw had dropped as Molly brought out a huge snitch shaped cake. Teddy's reaction upon seeing a cake shaped like a typewriter and stack of books was very much the same.

'For our great writer,' she said, setting it down in front of him. There was a hearty chorus of happy birthday, Ginny on the camera, Lily leaning forward to try and help Teddy blow out the candles.

Harry was still having a proud father moment, but felt a sudden lurch in his stomach in the brief moment of darkness when the candles went out. He could remember, as clear as though it were yesterday, Remus holding up a drink in toast to his son, a great wizard in the making. Perhaps he would have made a toast today too.

The balloons glowed again, and Harry forced the smile back on his face as they all applauded and Teddy looked sheepishly at Victoire. As the cake was cut and handed out, Molly insisted on presents being opened at the table.

As he was opening a set of books from Hermione, George leaned over to Harry and whispered, 'that's mine next. I was going to get him a load of contraceptive potions to annoy Bill, but Angelina wouldn't let me. She even said no to the nude calendar idea.'

Harry laughed. 'Leave my godson alone,' he whispered back. Lily stirred a little, having fallen back asleep on Harry's shoulder, and they both froze, worried she had heard. But she simply gave a sigh and drooled onto her father's chest.

Luckily, George had not bought Teddy anything more inappropriate than a daydream potion, in with a box of assorted Weasley Wizard Wheezes products. Bill and Fleur had gone for their customary enchanted razor, Percy and Audrey gifted a luxury quill set, and Molly and Arthur had bought him a new set of custom robes from Madam Malkin.

Then, there was the gift from Harry and Ginny. Harry felt oddly nervous as he watched his godson tear off the bright yellow wrapping to uncover a little wooden box. He opened it to see the watch inside.

'That was your father's,' said Harry. 'I've had it in the attic for when you turned seventeen - I expect his father gave it to him when he came of age himself.'

Teddy stared at it. Harry could see his thumb brushing the gold-trimmed edge of the face, his fingers touching the soft leather strap. He must have felt the engraving on the back, for he turned it over and read the faded R. J. L., and, underneath and clearer, T. R. L.

'Oh, Ted,' said Ginny, and Harry looked up from his godson's hands to see that he looked quite tearful. Ginny, who was sitting next to him, pulled Teddy into a hug - he rested his head on her shoulder and she kissed his hair.

'Sorry,' he said hoarsely, a blush spreading on his cheeks as he sat up and realised the rest of the table was watching with touched smiles. 'Harry - thank you. Really.'

'We didn't want it to upset you,' said Ginny gently.

'I'm not upset, I'm just...' He shook his head, at a loss for words as he stared down at the watch.

'I know,' said Harry quietly. He looked over at Andromeda. 'There's one more gift to cheer you up now that I've made it depressing.'

Teddy gave a spluttered chuckle, and said, 'you haven't,' but accepted the huge bag of presents Andromeda pushed towards him.

'Now this is from me and Harry, all right?'

She had really pulled out all the stops - from her large bag he took out a huge range of gifts, including a tent, a sleeping bag, and a new rucksack.

'Erm... Am I getting kicked out?' asked Teddy, unwrapping a collection of ordnance survey maps.

'Only for a little while,' she said, and she handed him an envelope.

He opened it, and took out a small, rectangular slip. His eyes widened. 'A ticket for the International Magical Express?'

'That ticket will take you all across Europe,' said Andromeda warmly. 'You'll need to use the train network from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and it will only last you a month from the day you start, but once you've graduated we thought you could use it to kick start a grand tour.'

He was speechless, almost shaking with excitement - he lent across the table, sending a trifle flying, to embrace her. 'You deserve it, darling,' she said.

'Don't do anything silly like follow hinkypunks or chase dragons,' said Harry, as Teddy leaned over to hug him too. 'And write every other day or we'll go mad with worry and come and get you.'

'Can I come too?' asked James suddenly.

'Absolutely not,' said Harry.

'This is amazing,' said Teddy. 'Just amazing. You're the best, both of you.'

Harry thought he spotted Victoire looking a little disappointed - no doubt she had realised that this mean Teddy would be away for a long time, but Teddy's giddy excitement and immediate listing of all the places he wanted to visit filled him with joy.

The party continued, the youngest of the children being taken home by Audrey and Percy (who never stayed at parties til the end) or put to sleep temporarily in one of the bedrooms upstairs. They poured more drinks - Hermione had kindly offered to abstain and be the responsible adult. At one point, Harry proudly poured Teddy his first glass of firewhiskey, only to find from the way he knocked it back that it was clearly not a new experience for him.

'And you're supposed to be Head Boy,' said Harry, not sure whether he should feel impressed or disappointed.

'You can't honestly say the first time you had it was when it was all proper and legal?' said Teddy, grinning.

Harry remembered his first taste of firewhiskey. The quiet horror of the Burrow, the creeping realisation that information had leaked, and that it had cost a life. Remus's frustration that he was making the same mistake his father did.

'I'll have you know, I was good as gold,' Harry told him. 'Never broke any rules or laws.'

'Yes, you always seem like the perfect student in all the stories,' said Teddy with a grin.

Harry poured Teddy more firewhiskey. 'Drink it more slowly this time, and come and walk with me.'

He led him out to the garden, where the sky was an inky blue as darkness was beginning to descend. The night was warm except for occasional breezes of cold wind, which rustled the trees of the orchard and pulled wisps of grey cloud over the moon.

'I wanted to apologise for springing the watch on you in front of everyone,' said Harry.

'You don't have to-' said Teddy quickly, but Harry shook his head.

'When I got my watch, Molly gave it to me in private, and looking back I can now see why. I could see you felt a little embarrassed, and I hope you know that there's no need to be. I didn't mean to add a bittersweet tone to your birthday - I really should have asked Molly's advice first.'

'Your watch belonged to your dad too?' asked Ted curiously.

'Ah, no, actually,' said Harry, looking at his own dented watch. 'Molly generously gave me her brother's old watch, which was touching in it's own way. I suppose my father's watch was buried with him. But when I... Well, I suppose I knew there wasn't a lot your father could leave you, so I thought it made sense at the time.' He did not want to tell Teddy about how he had taken the watch off Remus's wrist himself, in a sort of daze of denial, but perhaps Teddy had realised, because he was stroking the aged leather straps slightly. 'We can get you a new watch as well,' said Harry, feeling guilty. 'If you would be more comfortable with that.'

'No,' said Teddy firmly. 'I just...'

Harry nodded. 'When I was your age, I found a letter from my mother.'

He felt Teddy's sudden gaze upon him, but he found he could only look straight ahead, at the hedge and the dark fields beyond. He had spoken about his parents to Teddy before, but perhaps never so emotionally - never in more than anything other than some anecdote Remus or Sirius had told him once.

'I remember thinking,' he said slowly, 'this is it, this is proof that she lived. Her hands touched this page, they moved across it.'

'Yes,' said Teddy, looking back down at the watch. 'That's how I feel. He wore this. Probably every day.' He looked back up, curiously. 'What did the letter say?'

'Oh, it was nothing too emotional,' said Harry, smiling stiffly. 'She was thanking my godfather for the birthday present he sent me - it would have been my first. He sent me a toy broomstick, and there was a photo included.' But it was emotional - Harry drank from his firewhiskey to try and steady his throat.

'It was just a normal thing,' said Teddy.

'Yes,' said Harry, the ice in his glass clinking as he lowered his hand and swallowed. He knew what Teddy meant by this. That the more mundane the glimpse into what their lives might have been like, the more painful it seemed.

'I've sometimes thought,' said Teddy hesitantly, 'that my parents knew they were going to die, and that's why they chose you to be my godfather. Because they knew you would understand.'

'You know, I have sometimes wondered the same thing,' said Harry, and he smiled at Teddy's surprised expression. 'It just seems so neat, doesn't it? So poetic, in a very unfair sort of way. But no, Teddy, I know for a fact that your father was very sorry that he would never know you, or see you become the great wizard he knew you would become.'

'How can you know that?' asked Teddy miserably.

Harry thought of the snitch, and the tiny stone he had dropped long ago amongst the dirt and leaves of the forest floor. 'Because I knew him,' he said. 'And I saw how much joy you brought to him when you were born. He was very much looking forward to knowing you, and it's not fair that it was taken from him, just as it was unfair that it was taken from you. I never saw him happier.'

He noticed that since they had stepped outside, the vivid colour of Teddy's hair had softly melted away into a sandy dark blond. He looked like the perfect blend of his parents, but at times like this, when he was serious and reflective, he reminded Harry so much of Remus that it caused a great swell of grief.

'George said I cried a lot as a baby - I'm sorry.'

Harry burst out laughing. 'Oh, Ted. Only you would apologise for crying as a baby.'

Teddy smiled sheepishly, and tilted his head. 'You know what I mean. It just now occurred to me that I'm the same age you were when you suddenly had to just... Deal with me.'

'Trust me, Teddy, you were the easiest thing for me to deal with at that age,' said Harry wryly.

'I'm not trying to apologise,' said Teddy. 'I suppose I'm trying to say that I'm grateful. For all of that, and the watch, and the fact that you thought to keep it back for me, and not have it buried with dad.'

'It's not something to thank me for,' said Harry, though he hoped Teddy could see how touched he was. 'We've tried, all of us, to do what we think your parents would have wanted, but you deserved more. I'm sorry your father couldn't be the one to give you a watch tonight.'

'My real dad couldn't, but you could,' said Teddy, his voice cracking. 'You've always had that role for me, and you've always been so good at it.'

Harry hugged him, and Teddy hugged back, each of them gripping the back of the other's robes, Teddy's drink spilling slightly onto Harry's shoulder. Harry hoped Teddy knew how much that meant to him, but he also partly hoped he didn't - he didn't want Teddy to ever think about the pain and fear that had dominated the early days of his life, nor did he want his godson to know about his own insecurities and emotional damage from his upbringing. All that mattered to him was that Teddy knew he was loved, and wanted, from day one.

'Daaaaaad...'

At the sound of Al's voice, they broke apart, and smiled at one another. Looking back towards the house, they could see Al trudging across the garden towards them.

Harry looked back at Teddy. 'After you finish Hogwarts, go and use that train ticket. Go and live and have some adventures - not too dangerous, mind,' he added sternly. 'But go and have the life Remus would have wanted to give you.'

'Daaaad...'

'I will,' said Teddy. 'Thank you.'

'DAAAAD!'

'Yes, what is it, Al?' said Harry at last, looking down to see his son's large green eyes gazing up at him.

'Mummy's looking for you, she says Lily needs to go bed.'

'I see. Tell her I'll be right there.'

Albus ran back to the house, and Harry drained the rest of his firewhiskey. 'I suppose that's my cue to leave. I know term starts again on Monday, but try and come round before then, won't you?'

Teddy nodded, and walked back towards the house with Harry. 'I thought I might drop in at Shell Cottage too,' he said, in a would-be casual voice.

'Oh yes?'

'Yeah… Bill… Bill works Fridays, doesn't he?'

'He doesn't anymore actually, his hours changed again,' said Harry slowly. 'But, I suppose if something came up in the Auror department… That needed a curse breaker…' He made a hissing, intake of breath. 'It's rubbish to be called in on your day off, but it happens to the best of us.'

Teddy's face was burning red, but he smiled down at his feet, his hair returning to an electrifying blue.


End file.
